Reclining-couch.



No. 825,312. PATENTBD JULY 10, 1906.

J. PLINDALL.

REGLINING COUCH.

APPLICATION FILED Jun az. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 THE NORRIS Parties 60., wAsnnvcToN, 0. cv

No. 825,312. PATENTED JULY 10, 1906. J. FLINDALL.

RECLINING COUCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY22. 1905. v

a SHEETS-SHEET z.

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No. 825,312. PATENT-ED JULY 10, 1906. 'J. FLINDALL.

RBOLINING COUCH.

APPLICATION FILED JuLYzz. 1905.

s SHEETS-SHEET a.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., wAsumaroN. D c,

JOHN FLINDALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RECLI NlNG-COUCH- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed July 22, 1905. Serial No. 270.755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FLINDALL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reclining- Couches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furniture, and particularly to that class of chairs and couches having their backs adjustable relatively of the seats.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of reclining-couch, to provide im roved means for adjusting the back-rest of t e couch to various positions both along the seat and at an angle thereto ,to provide improved means for simultaneously tilting the seat and back-rest without disturbing their relative adjustment, to provide improved means adapted through downward pressure upon the seat to lock the back-rest against movement with respect to the seat, and to provide an improved form of yielding b ack-rest which will readily adapt itself to the curvature of the back of the person reclining thereon. These objects are accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a reclining-couch constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the cushion of the back-rest being removed to show the structure of the back-rest. Fig. 3 is a section corresponding to that in Fig. 1, but being partly broken away and showing the backrest inaposition at one end ofthe seat. Fig. 4 is a detail in plan of the mechanism for operating the locking-lever which controls the tilting of the seat.

In the construction shown in the drawings the supporting-frame 5 is rectangular in form and is supported by four legs. The seatframe 6 is hinged to the frame 5 at 7 near one end and is supported at its other end by bumpers 8 when it is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The seat-frame 6 is also provided with a pair of depending curved racks 9, which are arranged concentrically of the axis of the hinge 7 and are adapted to engage a locking-bar 10 for supporting the seat-frame 6 at a plurality of different inclined positions.

The racks 9 are secured to a cross-piece 11 and are located near opposite sides of the frame 6. The rack-teeth are formed by cuttin notches along one ed e of each rack, and sai notches are preferab y inclined on their lower side, so as to have a ratchet effect in permitting the seat-frame to be tilted upwardly, but preventing the descent of said frame except when the bar 10 is released, as.

will be hereinafter described. One of the racks 9 has teeth along one edge, and the other rack has teeth on the opposite edge. The bar 10 is pivoted to a cross -bar 12 at a point midway between the racks 9, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The bar 10 is swung on its pivotal axis by means of a link 13, which connects with a spring-lever 14. The lever 14 is rigidly secured to the frame 5 and normally assumes the position shown in Fig. 4, holding the bar 10 into engagement with each of the racks 9. The bar 10 is released from such engagement by means of a handle .15, which is connected by the rod 16 with the end of the lever 14. The handle is preferably located at a point at one side of the seat near the top of the frame 6. A cushioned seat 17'is supported at the rear end bya crossbar 18 of the frame 6, and its front end is supported by means of one or more springs 19, whichrest on a cross-bar 20 of the frame 6.

The couch is provided with a sliding frame 21 ,which is slidably mounted on the seatframe 6 and serves as arm-rests and as a support for the back-rest 22. The frame 21 is U-shaped, comprising two vertically-disposed arm-rests connected by a structure extending across below the seat 17. This structure consists of a pair of U-shaped metal straps 24, connected byasuitable brace 25 to afford the desired rigidity. The spring 19 normally holds the seat 17 slightly ralsed above the straps 24, so that the frame 21 is freeto slide alon the frame 6 when no pressure is exerted thereon. As soon as the seat is occupied the weight of the occupant causes the spring 19 to yield and permits the seat to rest directly upon the straps 24, thereby clamping the arm-rests and back-rest against shifting. The forward end of the frame 21 may rest upon rollers, as at 23, Fig. 2; but the rear end should rest directly upon the frame 6 so that the tilting of the frame 6 will not cause the frame 21 to shift.

The back-rest 22 is pivoted at 26 to the sliding frame 21 and is adapted to be tilted at various angles by shifting the bar 27 to different supporting-hooks 28, as in the wellknown Morris chair. The back-rest consists of an inverted-U-shaped support, and

the pivots 26 are located at the lower extremities of the sides of said support. The cushion 30 is supported in the back-rest by means of a plurality of horizontally-disposed slats. The upper slat 31 is rigidlyse'cured with the support 29. The second slat 32 is connected to the slat 31 by means of a plu-. rality of vertically-disposed flat springs 33, but is otherwise free from the support. The remaining slats 34 are secured to each of the slats 34 and 32, but are not directly secured o. h Slat .1. T he uppe nds of he pring 35 e ben wa d. o f r l g 3 t which the cushion 3 0 is secured. These springs. permit the lower part of the cushion 3Q. to yield ea e y to form a. c mfort b uppor for the back of a person occupying the couch. This is illustrated in Fig. 3; The spring.- straps 35, which support the cushion, are not connected at their upper ends to. the slat 31, and thus; permit the upper end of the cushion o y ld f rw rd, as lust d n g- The cross-straps 24 being within the frame 6, engage the ends thereof and serve as stops for limiting t e n w 's hift g f the b ekeet and. a m-s pp The operation of the device shown is as folw Be o c upy g h c uch. the. f me 2i may be first slid to the desired position along the seat and the back-rest may then be tilted to. the desired angle by shifting the rod 27. The weight of a person occupying the seat serves to. cause. the springs 19 to yield, causing the seat 17 to rest directly upon the straps 24,, and'thereby reventing the shifting of the back-rest with respect to. the seat. When it is desired to tilt the seat of the couch, the seat-frame is lifted at itsforward n the loo gar 10 if g long he. racks. until it falls into recesses corresponding to the desired angle of inclination. To return the seat to its horizontal position, the handle 15 is drawn forward to release the bar 10, as has already been described. Since the pivot 26 e o a above the leve of the top of the seat 17, the yielding of the lower end of the back-rest is ofimportance in this device, as. it permits the lower end of the cushion to bend to. a position close tothe top of the seat, and thus, avoids a ridge at the junction of the back-rest and seat-cushions, This feature is particularly apparent in Fig. 3, where the back-rest is inclined, at a great angletotheseat.

Wha I e im a my v ti n, nd re tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An, article of furniture, comprising a, frame having thereon a seat, a back-rest mounted in said frame and adjust ble to a plurality of different positions relatively of said; seat, and, means for clamping said backrest in each of said positionsof adjustment through pressure on said, seat.

2, An article of furniture, comprising a frame having thereon. a seat, a back-rest adjustable along said seat, and means whereby a downward pressure on the seat will secure said back-rest against shifting.

3. In an article offurniture, the combination of a frame, a seat on said frame, a backrest slidable in said frame longitudinally of the, seat, said back-rest having thereon a part opposed to said seat and adapted to be engaged thereby for locking said back-rest against movement when a downward pressure is exerted on the seat.

4, In an article of furniture, the combination of a frame, a seat on said frame, a backrest slidable in said frame longitudinally of the seat, said back-rest having thereon a part opposed to said seat and adapted to be engaged thereby for locking said back rest against movement When the seat is occupied, and a spring normally holding said; seat out of contact with said part.

5. In an article of furniture, the combine: on of afrn a e ted in said frame, a springsupporting said seat, a back-rest adj ustable along saidseat and having a part below the seat and adapted to be engaged by saidseat through the yielding of said spring Whe the seat is ccupied. and the eby ook. seid back against movement, said spring be-v ing adapted tov lift the seat out of contact with said part nd pe mit of adjusting said.

back, when the seat is not occup ed.

In an article of furniture, the combine.-

tion of a horizontally-disposed supportingframe, a seat-frame mounted on said sup,- porting-frame and adapted to. be tilted at an angle thereto, a seat yieldingly supported on said seat-frame, a back adjustable'alongsaijd seat-frame, a part secured tosaid back adapted to receive the weight of said seat when occupied, thereby locking said back against movement with respect to said seat, and a spring normally urgingsaid seat out of en gagement with said part.

7 In an article of furniture the combina tion of a frame, a member mounted on said rame, a d ad pt d to. be ti ted a n ng e.

IIO

sides, of said member and disposed. transversely thereof and in. parallel relation to each other, said racks having teeth on rela; tively opposite edges thereof, a locking-bar piv t y m unte e wee a d reeks and adapted to simultaneously engage cornesponding teeth. of each. rack, a, spring normally urging said bar into. such engagement and a. lever for releasing said. bar topermit of angular adjustment of said member;

8. article of furniture, comprising a, frame having thereon a seat, and a back-rest mountedv in, said frame and adapted to. be tiltedi angularly of said seat, said back-rest comprising a. support, having a horizontallydisposed. crossepiece near the top, a, plurality of vertically-disposed.springs secured to said. cross-piece, hor zontal; slats connecting said.

springs, and a cushion mounted on said springs and being free from said support and adapted to bend to fit the back of an occupant through the yielding of said springs.

9. In an article of furniture, the combination of a seat; and a back-rest comprising a frame adapted to be tilted angularly with respect to said seat, a horizontally-disposed cross-piece rigidly secured near the top of said frame, a slat below said cross-piece and connected therewith by one or more vertically-disposed flat springs, a plurality of slats below said first slat and parallel therewith, a plurality of vertically-disposed fiat s rings extending across and securing said s ats together to form a yielding support, said springs extending upwardly across said crosspiece but being not directly connected there- JOHN FLINDALL. Witnesses:

E. A. RUMMLER, GLEN C. STEPHENS. 

